The New Que Reader

Update - Well we thought it might happen the Que Reader has fallen foul of the whole eReader vs iPad war and been axed. Plastic Logic say they have cancelled the Que Reader (shame it was pretty if over-priced) and will concentrate instead on their Pro-Reader.

Whether this new version will be able to infiltrate the eBook Reader market it anyone's guess. But with the Kindle 3 being so cheap and the wifi Kindle at only $139, plus the Kindle DX the only real contender against the world domination by iPad where will the new Plastic Logic Reader fit?

Now the Que ProReaders are actually available for us mere mortals to buy. Well, they were - no pre-orders are over. But any day now they will be back and we can buy the beautiful Que Reader online.

When we first published this web-page the Que Readers were still a thing of mystery - shrouded in rumour but little known. Then in January 2010 the plastic logic reader was unveiled at anyone lucky enough to visit Las Vegas could have a look at one and check out this professional reading device.

But still we could not buy one. Then the que site let a few folks pre-order. But it looks like come July or August the Que Pro-Reader will be available to buy online for one and all.

Nooks & Ques for Everyone at Barnes & Noble

All we can say is its about bloomin' time!

Another update for you...Wow, news reports confirm that all the folks that got to pre-order the Que reader have had those orders cancelled.  It looks like Plastic Logic are faltering.  I think it might be wiser to get your hands on the Kindle DX instead.  Maybe one day flexible large format eReaders for business will be released but for now the Que is rumoured to be something of an enigma wrapped in a mystery that mey well never materialise!

If you read on below you will see what we thought the ProReader from Plastic Logic would be.  But far more useful, here is what you really get with this innovative range of ebook readers...

• A pro-reader for the professional market - works with office documents such as Word® Documents, Excel® Spreadsheets, PowerPoint® Presentations and PDF Files.
• A near enough A4 sized touchscreen (8.5" x 11").
• Take notes, highlight, stamp important bits of work - all with the touchscreen and virtual keypad.
• Transfer documents from your pc or Blackberry straight to the Que ProReader - no more printing and carrying of old-fashioned paperwork needed!

There are currently two options.  You can choose the 4GB wifi only model that will store a measly 35,000 documents or so, or go for the 8GB 3G and wifi model that stores a whopping 75,000!

Yes of course you get all the usual stuff - great clear screen.  Zoom, rotate, highlight etc.  Read e-newspapers like you simply cannot believe if you're used to a smaller screen and read ePub ebooks too.

What's not to love about the world's first plastic ebook reader?

No longer a mystery but this is what we thought about it before we could get a grubby paws on one!

Have you heard of the Que Reader yet? Unless you are a dedicated follower of gadget fashion you probably have not. Even though it is touted as 'the next big thing' and the wireless Ebook reader to rival amazon's Kindle Reading Device, what it is still remains a mystery.

A few lucky folks have seen the Que in the flesh, but until Jan 7th 2010 most of us will remain oblivious to the charms of the new proReader from Plastic Logic. This is one mysterious mother of an eReader at the moment. I guess once the Holiday gift season (and amazon's insane sales of the Kindle) are forgotten the Que will be unveiled completely. The question is will it really offer a better option for most of us than the beautiful Kindle 2?

There is, it has to be said, a lot going for the reader even if we are not given the full specification just yet. And, until pricing information is released I would err on the side of caution. It may sound great but will it be worth whatever the price tag becomes?

Until we know more, here are the Que Reader Facts. These are the points we do know now, the reasons whether we should be holding our breath in eager anticipation awaiting the plastic fantastic ebook reader called Que...

Before we had the definite info this is what we all expected of the Que ProReader...

So, wait with baited breath or forget about the Que Reader and just get on the Kindle bandwagon? What's a gadget, book loving fan to do? So far, here's what we do know the Que Ebook Reader will be offering:

Touchscreen Reading Device

Unlike the Kindle, the Que handheld reading device is all screen. In fact all you see is the display as it is the largest touchscreen reader available. With touchscreen technology being something more of us crave after the massive success of iPhones and their imitators, this is likely to really make a difference for many would-be customers.

Large Screen Ebook Reader

While current reading devices such as the Sony 505 and Kindle 2 off a flexible and easy reading experience when reading books, they do lack the screen size to deal effectively with many private documents, magazines, newspapers, maps and similar large formats. The Que Reading Device hopes to take the Kindle DX newspaper friendly screen one step further. With increased size and touch screen for simple note-taking it should be even more desirable for those who plan to read more than the latest best seller on their reading device.

Portable Reading Device

Okay, so this is not the most compact reader on the market. In fact it could well be vieing for place as the biggest. But still at around the size of an A4 sheet of paper (you know the size of an average letter, the type that used to come via your local postie) it is definitely portable. It is only 1/3" thick and weighs about 3lbs less than the comparable Kindle DX.

E Ink® Electronic Paper Display

Like the Kindle and Kindle DX, the Que Reader uses E Ink® electronic paper display technology.This means reading is relaxing and easy on the eye, unlike long periods spent reading on your average home electronics with their back lighting and harsh pixels. The theory is you can read in any conditions, even bright sunlight, without straining the eyes.

Flexible Plastic Ebook Reader

Okay, so the Que is not as flexible as it could be, but it is certainly moving portable readers in the right direction. There is no silicon involved, just millions of tiny plastic transistors embedded in the flexible plastic display. This means the techs could in theory (and in fact have trialed) floppy flexible readers. But for now the Que is encased in a rigid plastic shell to keep everything firm and more how we are used to experiencing our personal electronics.

Still though, that plastic makes all the difference. For a start plastic transistors are cheaper than silicon (let's hope the pricing reflects this) and secondly it makes for a shatterproof reader. In fact the maker's regularly drop their readers onto concrete to prove how 'unbreakable' the gadget is.

A ProReader for Business

The Que Reader is being marketed (quietly) as an Ebook reader for business. Other reading devices are primarily aimed at the home consumer who wants to read for long periods without eyestrain and with the option to incorporate news articles too. The Que device is the first to include the ability to read many business used formats such as Word, PDF, Powerpoint and Excel.

In addition, with the touchscreen annotation can be made to documents by drawing on the screen, perhaps a lot easier than using the QWERTY keyboard and highlighter supplied with the closest equivalent.

A Multi National Ebook Reader

In these times of trouble and strive it is rather refreshing to see a new business venture that is truly international in scope. The original design team behind Plastic Logic are scientists from Cambridge University in England. The technology will be German produced whilst sales and marketing are US based. Isn't it great when we can all work together for a change?

A Pricey Ebook Reader?

As of yet we do not know how much the Que Reader will retail at. The best guess is at anything from $489 (the Kindle DX price) to $800. With the Kindle DX being its main rival at the moment it would probably be wise to keep the price down as close to the bottom figure as possible.

Still a Mysterious Reading Device - The Que Reader

My guess, after ten years and $200 million in private equity finance the Que Reader must be something revolutionary and exciting. But we will have to wait and see...

Roll on 7th Jan and the Release of the Que Reader!

Well its now 10th January and the Que Proreader has indeed been unveiled. You still cannot buy the Que Reader though!

It is available for pre-order. But at $649 for the 4GB WiFi version or $799 for the 8GB WiFi & 3G version it definitely is not the new ereader for me. I think I would rather invest in the new Global Kindle DX.  That way I will have a few hundred dollars left over to book a flight somewhere in which to take advantage of the massive library stored on these larger Ebook Readers, even if they are not as pretty as the Que Reader!